Does your current mattress have permanent body impressions? Do you feel sluggish, even sometimes achy in the morning? If your answer was "yes" to one of these questions then you may have a mattress which is defective. If you think this might be the case, you might be able to file a warranty claim. To do so, you must be able to provide proof of purchase and the mattress must also still be within the warranty period.

In most cases, after you file a claim, a certified technician will visit your home to inspect the mattress and or bedspring. In order to qualify for a replacement mattress or boxspring , your mattress and or boxspring must be free of stains and or any signs of abuse or neglect. Your mattress set must also be adequately supported and the inspector must find a defect that is covered under warranty.

To begin the warranty claim process you need to check your law tag to make sure your mattress is still under warranty. There will be a specific code on your mattress law tag that denotes if the warranty is pro-rated or not, as well as the length of the warranty period. Match the code to the chart in your warranty/product care card or visit the manufacturer's website to find out what the code on your mattress means.

The length of warranty periods vary from mattress to mattress. Mattresses of good quality will come with at least a 10 year warranty. Some warranties offer full-replacement value while others offer prorated values after a certain period of time. For example, a manufacturer may offer a ten year warranty with 7 years non-prorated and 3 years prorated. That means in last three years of the warranty, you will only receive a percentage of the full value towards your replacement mattress.

Next, you will need a proof of purchase to begin your claim. A receipt showing the name of the product in question and the date that you purchased is usually required. Some companies will also accept a credit card statement showing the date of purchase and location of purchase. However, it is the retailer's discretion if they choose to accept a credit statement as an acceptable proof of purchase. If you do not have a proof of purchase then you cannot file a warranty claim. Please note, the only person that can file the claim is the person whose name is on the receipt.

Once you've verified that you're within the warranty period and you have your proof of purchase, you can contact the retailer you purchased from to begin the claim. This process may require that you fill out some paperwork describing your concern with the mattress and or boxspring - and you will need to submit the proof of purchase to the retailer. If your retailer has gone out of business or is no longer in your area, then you will need to contact the manufacturer directly to begin your claim.

The third step in the process is the mattress inspection. Most companies contract an independent third party inspection company to examine mattresses and or boxsprings that are believed to be defective. These inspectors are trained professionals that know what type of defects to look for and what the warranty covers. You can expect the inspector to measure the mattress and boxspring for body impressions. The inspector will also perform a pressure test on the mattress to check for void and/or missing or displaced coils. Finally, the inspector will check the frame to make sure the mattress set is being supported properly. The inspector will then submit the findings back to the retailer and the retailer notifies you of the results.

If your mattress is adequately supported and is free of stains or damage but has a permanent body impression greater than an inch and a half (or any other manufacturing defect), then your mattress and or boxspring will be replaced by your retailer under the terms of your manufacturer's warranty. The following issues are excluded under warranty, so please take note of them:

-Comfort or firmness preference

-Normal body impressions less than 1 ½"

-Bed height/weight

-Cover or fabric, stitching

-Bent border wires

-Mattress damage due to mismatch foundations/boxsprings and or inappropriate frame

-Floor model/ "as is" merchandise

-Transportation and inspection cost

-Stained, burned, soiled, infested merchandise even if defective